Refrigerated meat chopper having a removable casing section



Nov. 9, 1954 A. w. LUNDELL 2,693,835

REFRIGERATED MEAT CHOPPER HAVING A REMOVABLE CASING SECTION Filed Oct. 3, 1952 3 Sheet's-Sheet l I N V EN TOR. /4P/va. 0 W1 (may;

NOV. 9, 1954 w, LUNDELL 2,693,835

REFRIGERATED MEAT CHOPPER HAVING A REMOVABLE CASING SECTION Filed 00;- 3, 1952 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l N V E NTOR 40 040 l1! ,6 04 0514 MKQM 4% ATTORNEY United States Patent'O REFRIGERATED MEAT CHOPPER HAVING A REMOVABLE CASING SECTION Arnold W. Lundell, Byram, Conn., assignor to Globe Slicing Machine Co., Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of New York I a refrigerated meat chopper casing associated with a refrigerating unit.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed,

to provide an improved coupling for a meat chopper having a stationary and a removable section, said sections having complementary contact faces with a projection extending from one contact face and a first recess formed in the other contact face to receive said projection, an enlargement extending from the face of said stationary contact and a second recessin the removable section to receive said enlargement, feed and return conduits extending through said stationary section and having portions protruding from the face of said stationary section, a passage or conduit formed in 2,693,835 'latented Nov. 9, 1954 ICC the 5W0 main sections ofthe meat chopping unit separate Fig .7 is an enlarged transverse section of the cam device for. clamping. the twosections together.

Although refrigerating systems have heretofore been connected to meat chopping casings, these did not lend themselves for practical purposes to be connected with meat chopping machines, such as disclosed in applicants Letters Patent. No. 2,539,448, issued January 30, 1951, where the casing is composed of two sections to facilitate cleaning. and the like byv the shopkeeper. One of the objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide in association with a cooling system a coupling for a meat chopping machine. of the type disclosed in applicants patent aforesaid which will not only retain ail of the advantages of .such meat chopping machines, but in addition have .theadvantage of cooling the same without in anyway .encumbering a meat.chopper made according toapplicants said patent, and retain not only all of the advantages of such prior meat chopping machine, but possess many additional advantages.

With applicants invention it will. be seen that the advantages, in theinterest of sanitation of providing a two sectionmeat chopping casing, including the fixed section 1 and theremovable section 2, such as disclosed in applicants aforesaid patent, are retained and the meat chopper 3 may be located. on. the store counter or any the wall of the removable section and having feed and return ends terminating in its face to register respectively with the protruding portions extending from the face of said stationary section, the enlargement being spaced from, and interposed between, said projection and said protruding portions, with the projection longer than said enlargement and said enlargement longer than said protruding portions whereby during assembly said projection will first be located, then said enlargement and finally said protruding portions so that said protruding portions will be protected from injurious contact with the removable section during assembly.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved coupling for a two sectional meat chopper casing having a stationary section having a main plane contact face, the stationary section provided with a journal for the shaft of the advancing screw and supporting parts of the inlet and outlet conduits -of the refrigerating system with the ends thereof protruding from said main plane contact face, the removable section having a second main plane contact face including I 15 and 16, respectively,

the inlet funnel and the chambered cylinder for the adstance is mountedv on other, thereby to seal off any leakage from the chamber for the advancing screw and effecting the actuationof the valves to seal the medium.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages passage for the heat transferring of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the refrigerating unit motor and meat chopping unit, with the meat chopping unit in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan unit on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the complemental parts of the heat transferring medium where the fixed and removable sections meet.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail exploded of the complemental parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the meat chopping unit showing the two main sections separated. vFig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental perspectiveshowing View of the refrigerating forated disk 7 and cutter 8, and then by means of the' projection 9 fitting in the recess .10, and the cylindrical enlargement 11 fitting in the cylindrical recess 12, to cooperate with one another as indices properly to position the sections. 1 and.2 in. a predetermined position where the. tapered protruding portions 13 and 14 of the inlet and outlet conduits 15 and 16, respectively, .extending from the section 1 will register with the ends 17 and 18 of the tube in the section 2, the plane contact faces 19 and 20 of the sections 1 and 2, respectively, Will in. turn cooperate with one another eifectively to seal the rear end of the chamber 5 formed in the casing section 2 and also to aid in sealing the connections between the protruding portions 13 and 14 of the conduits extending from the section 1 and the ends'17 and 18 of the tube in the section 2 when .the clamping device 21 journalled in the section 1 isturned in engagement with the projection 9.

The refrigerating system or unit 4 in the present inthe platform 22 having a motor 23 at one end operatively connected to a pump mounted in the casing 24 to draw the heat transferring medium, water asan instance, through the conduit 25 and then forcing it up into and through the conduit 15 to the passage 26 in the casing 2. From the passage 26, the mediumis then forced down through the inlet conduit 16 into the coil portion 27 and up to the conduit 25.

As the heat transferring medium passes through the coil portion 27- adjacent the refrigerating coil portion 28, the heat transferring medium will be cooled. In order to replenish the heat transferring medium as an instance, if it' is water a reservoir 29 may be provided having an'inlet 30 and a feed conduit 31 from the reservoir 29 to and in communication with the conduit 15.

The refrigerating coil portion 28 is connected by the conduit 32 to the condenser coil portion 33 and from the condensercoil portion 33 by means of the conduit 34 to the combined compressor and motor 35, and from thecompressor 35 by means of the conduit 36 back 7 to the refrigerating coil portion 28. The compressor 35 is provided with the conventional fan 37 to direct, air at the condenser coil portion 33 to aid in condensing the refrigerating medium being circulated therethrough. The refrigerating medium may be any of the conventional 'm'ediums today extensively used, such for instance frigerating-medium is contained in a closed-system and similarly the heat transferring medium is contained in a closed system and similarly the heat transferring medium istcontained inae closedsystem.

The platform 22 on which the refrigerating unit 4 is. mounted in the .present instance. is connected to the platform 38 by therods or bars 39, 40, 41 and 42. Ubviously, however, without departing from the spirit of the invention, this refrigerating unit may. be located in-another roomasan instance, in which case the conduits.15.and16 .of course would bevmaterially increased inlength. However, sincetthe conduit portions 15 and 16 between the refrigerating unit Arand the casing section 1 preferably are enclosed in. insulating shields 43 and .44 throughout, only parts of the shields 43 and 44 being shown adjacent the bracket 45 to whichthe casing section 1 is fixed, the eifect on the heat transferring medium, water as an instance,v will be immaterial if the lengths of the conduits 15 and '16..are increased to accommodate such remote positioning vof the refrigerating unit .4 relativeito therrneatchopping unit 3.

Associatedwith 1116 meat. chopping unit3 as disclosed in the patent aforesaid, there is provided a motor 46 mounted inthetpresentinstancecnthe platform 38 which is provided with a coupling 47.10 receive the angular portion 48 of theshaft 49 fixed in the-present instance to the advancingscrew 6. The coupling 47 as shown intFigs. l and 5. is preferably spaced from the inner face of itheibracket 45,10 theouter face of which the section Lofthe casing 3 is fixed.

The section tztprefera'bly is provided with anupward extension 5.0 which is preferably chambered at 51 as shownand provided with an inner machine finished-plane contact facel19'from theiower portion 53 of which there extends the cylindrical enlargement 11, provided with a centralopening 54 in which the shaft 49 is journalled. The bracket .45 and section-'1 below the opening 54 in the present instance isprovided: with alined openings, as antinstance, the openings 55 and 56 in the bracket 45 registering with the openings-57 and 58, respectively, in section .l'JtO receive the conduits '15 and 16-ancl permit the protruding portions 13. and 1.4 of the conduits 15 and 16, respectively, to protrude from the face 19 below thecylindrical-enlargement 11. Preferably the protruding portions 13 and14'as shown are tapered or beveled, as shown in Figs. and 6.

The opening in the section 1' inthe present instance extends aparalle'l with the .opening 54 and openings 57 and 5,8 and'is cylindrical in conformation. This opening 10 as shown communicates with the cylindrical opening 59 extending transverse .to the direction .of the opening '10 and intersecting .one another approximately a 25% quadrant of the cylindrical opening 59 and in turn also approximately a 2-5i% quadrant of the opening :10. Furthermore, the opening 59 preferably extends into :the section 1 through one side of the section 1 as shown :to receive ithezcylindrical .bar ,60 of the clamping ,device 21. The cylindrical Ibar160 in the present instance is provided with an annular'recess 61 to receive the set screw 62 and rotatably anchor the bar 60 in the-section 1. The outer .end .ofthe bar 60 is preferably provided with a handle 63. The clamping function of the clampingdevice 21 is performed by the portions of the bar 60 adjacent the approximately 90 cylindrical recess 64 formed in the .bar .60 at right angles to the axis thereof. The radius of the recess .64 in turn conforms to the radius .of .theopening 10 and the cylindrical projection. 9 so that when the recess 64 registers with the opening 10 to clear .the cylindrical passage through :the openinglt), the projection 9 may be inserted into the same. The projection 9" in turn has a substantially 9.0" cylindrical recess .65 formed therein at right angles to the axis iOf theprojection '9, the radius of which in turn conforms to the radius of the opening 59 so that when the projection 9 is positioned 'in the opening 10 and the bar 60 is rotated angularlyl it will move the vuninterrupted portion of the bar 60 into the recess 65 and draw the contact faces 19 and 20 into intimate engagement with one another. In order to effect such forced engagement, preferably the distance from the outer edge of the opening '59 to the. contact face 19 w be gre t r han t e d s anc b twee the nner ed of the reces .65 to the Contact race 1 9- The casing section 2- preferably as shown has the chambered funnel extension 66 which is chambered at S-Zontheoutside-as shown. The-chamber of the funnel extension 66 communicateswith the chamber 5 to enable the meat to be cut to be fed to the advancing screw 6. The advancing screw 6 in the conventional way has fixed thereto the cutter 8 anchored in rotatable engagement with the inner face of the disk 7 which is in turn locked-to the outer end of the cylindrical portion 67 of the casing section=2 by-the locking ring 68.

The wall of the cylindrical portion 67 between the funnel extension .66 and the outer end thereof, as shown, has a spiral passage 26 formed therein terminating at the face 20. Excellent results have been achieved when the spiral passage 26 is formed by placing a metal tube is), composed as an instance of copper, nickel or the like, in the casting mold before introducing the molten mass, such as iron, aluminum, or an alloy of about 20% nickel and about 80% iron known in the trade as *Niresist. mold. before the molten nass is introduced terminates at the contact face 20 in the'flaring ends 17 and 18 to receive the tapered protruding portions 13 and 14 when the clamping device '21 is turned to cause the contact faces :19 and 20 intimately to engage one another. As aforesaid, these contact faces 19 and 2.0 are accurately planed so that they will intimately engage one another throughout'their surfaces when the clamping device 21 is turned to clamp them into intimate engagement with one another.

With the present invention, water is preferably used as theheat'ttransferring mediumso that when the casing section 2 is separated from the casing section 1, there will be no loss in the heat transferring medium, since obviously whatever water, previously retained within the system which escapes, will be resupplied from the reservoir 29.

One. of the mainv features of the present invention resides in the mechanism whereby the water disposed in the tube 69 willbe retained in the same and not be lost when the casing-2 is removed for the purpose of cleaning and the like, and similarly that the water in the conduits 15 and 1,6 will be captured and protected from evaporation ,or escape when the casing 2 is so re moved. For this purpose, see particularly Figs. 3 and 4,,two complcmental valve sets are provided, one cornplemental set in the ends 13 and 17, and the other in the ends 14Landx18;

in thefirst place as aforesaid, the outer faces of the ends 13 andr14 are taperedat '70 to be received by the ilaringtfaces 17,0}of the ,ends 17 and 18, respectively, of therztube .69. Atsthe inner ,end of each of the faces 17.0 of the-ends 17 and 18, there is provided a seal or washer "71 composed'of some suitable synthetic rubber, formed bypolymerization of chloroprene such as is sold on. the market under the name Nyoprene vor Hycar. In the next place, in each of the ends 13 and 14 there is provided an annular collar 72 having a central opening 73, having .a channelled guide 74 extending outward and a conical valve seat 75 formed on the inner end of the collar 72 to receive the valve head 76"mounted ion the stem 77 extending through thetchannel of the guide 74 and provided with a collar or disk 78 fixed ion the stem 77, between which collar 78 and the guide 74 there is disposed the coil spring 79 normally to maintain the valve head 76 on the seat 75. Each of the ends '17 and 18 has a collar 89 with a central opening 81 provided with a channeled guide 82 to receive the stem 83 having a valve head 84 on its inner endto engage the valve seat :85 formed on the inner face ,of'the collar and a disk :86 on its outer end between which ,disk 86 and the guide 82 there is disposed the coil spring .87 normally to maintain the head =84 .on the valve seatx85. Since the outer end of thestem 77 extends beyond the disk 78, obviously when the two complemental ends 13 and 17, or 14 and 18, are brought together as shown in Fig. 3, the free end of the stem 77 will engage the disk 86 when either spring 79 or spring 83 will first compress and thereupon the other. spring compress to displace the valve heads 76 and 84 from their respective valve seats, or else both coil springs "79 and 83-Will compress simultaneously to displace the valve heads 76 and 84 into the positions shown in Fig. '3. With arrangement, immediately tha the casin i removed h c mp em valves will close the ends 13, 17, and 14, 18, and in turn Preferably the tube .69 so placed in the,

when the casing 2 is replaced, the complemental valves will open each other to clear the passage from the tube to the tube 69 and back to the tube 16, and in turn impinge the seals 71 between the annular edges 88 of the ends 13 and 14 and the shoulders 89 at the inner ends of the flaring faces 170 to effect leak-proof seals between the complemental set of ends 13 and 17 and the complemental set of ends 14 and 18.

Since one of the objects of the present invention is to preserve the sanitary advantage of the construction illustrated in applicants prior issued patent aforesaid,

in the consequent frequent separation of the casing section 2 from the casing section 1 in the interest of protecting the valve units having the valve heads 76 and 84 and the stems 77, the projection 9 and enlargement 11 protrude further from their associated contact faces 19 and than the protruding portions 13 and 14 of the inlet and outlet conduits 15 and 16 as well as the protruding portions of the stems 77 protrude from their associated faces 19 and 20. Since the projection 9 protrudes further than the enlargement 11, it will be seen that in the process of replacing or reconnecting the easing section 2 to the casing section 1, the projection will first locate the casing section 2 when entering the recess 20 and'the enlargement 11 will thereupon aline the casing section 2 relative to the casing section 1 so that the protruding portions 13 and 14 of the conduits 15 and 16 as well as the stems 77 will be truly alined with the openings 17 and 18 of the casing section 2 and thus positively protect the protruding portions 13 and 14 as well as the valve stems 77 from injury when reconnecting the casing section 2 to the casing section 1, and in addition thus also positively protect the valve units having the valve heads 76 and 84. The importance of this feature is of course, obvious when consideration is taken of the need for repeatedly efiecting a fluid-tight connection between the protruding portions 13, 14 and the ends 17 and 18 of the conduit 69.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coupling for a meat chopper comprising a stationary casing section and a removable casing section, said sections having contacting complementary faces, one of said sections being provided with a first recess in its face, a projection on the other section extending from its face and engaging in said first recess, one of said sections being provided with a second recess in its face spaced from said first recess, an enlargement of less length than said projection on the section opposite to said second recess and engaging in said second recess, each of said sections having at least one conduit therein opening through its face, said conduits registering with one another, and one of said conduits having a protruding portion extending from the face associated therewith, said protruding portion being of less length than either said projection or said enlargement whereby when said sections are assembled for engagement of said complementary faces with one another, said protruding portion will be alined for registration with the conduit of said other section and be protected from injurious contact with said other section while being so alined for registration with the conduit of said other section.

2. The coupling as set forth in claim 1 in which said enlargement and said protruding portion extend from said stationary section and said enlargement is disposed between said projection and said protruding portion.

3. A coupling for a meat chopper comprising a stationary casing section and a removable casing section, said sections having contacting complementary faces, one of said sections being provided with a first recess in its face, a projection on the other section extending from its face and engaging in said first recess, one of said sections being provided with a second recess in its face spaced from said first recess, an enlargement of less length than said projection on the section opposite to said second recess and engaging in said second recess, said stationary section having feed and return conduits therein opening through its face, said removable section having a Wall forming a main chamber and a conduit in said wall having feed and return ends in itsface registering with the feed and return conduits in the other face, and the conduits of said stationary section having protruding portions extending from its face, said protruding portions being of less length than either said projection or said enlargement whereby when said sections are assembled for engagement of said complementary faces with one another, said protruding portions will be alined for registration with the conduits of said other sections and be protected from injurious contact with said other section while being so alined for registration with the conduits of said other section.

4. The coupling as set forth in claim 3 in which a clamping device is associated with said projection for clamping said complementary faces into intimate engagement with one another after being assembled.

5. The coupling as set forth in claim 3 in which complementary check valves are disposed in said protruding portions and in said feed and return ends having valve stems protruding beyond the outer ends of said protruding portions, which stems and protruding portions together are of less length than either said projection or said enlargement whereby when said sections are assembled said stems similarly will be protected from injurious contact with said other section while being alined for registration with the check valves in said feed and return ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,182,711 Royle May 9, 1916 1,516,841 Buttfield Nov. 25, 1924 1,914,689 Humphrey June 20, 1933 1,942,082 Biancalana Ian. 2, 1934 1,942,083 Biancalana Jan. 2, 1934 1,960,708 Loomis May 29, 1934 2,060,605 Biancalana Nov. 10,1936 2,151,476 Kimble Mar. 21, 1939 2,302,574 Richardson et al Nov. 17, 1942 2,322,449 Johnson June 22, 1943 2,333,669 Ness Nov. 9, 1943 2,518,299 Fernandez Aug. 8, 1950 2,526,498 Pacciano Oct. 17, 1950 2,539,448 Lundell Ian. 30, 1951 2,541,201 Buecken et al Feb. 13, 1951 

